Americans United - James David Manninghttps://www.au.org/tags/james-david-manning
enDrake Drops Death Demand: Baptist Pastor Ends Prayers For Obama's Deathhttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/drake-drops-death-demand-baptist-pastor-ends-prayers-for-obamas-death
<a href="/about/people/bathija">Sandhya Bathija</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Here's some <a href="http://www.abpnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&amp;task=view&amp;id=4588&amp;Itemid=53">news</a> you might have missed in the holiday shuffle last week: Wiley Drake, pastor of the First Southern Baptist Church in Buena Park, Calif., and former vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention, has issued a press release calling for the end to an "imprecatory prayer" for President Barack Obama's death.</p>
<p>No, Drake was not overcome with the holiday spirit. Instead, he has received some "spiritual guidance" that made him realize Obama is worth more alive.</p>
<p>He is now "calling for all of God's people and prayer warriors to cease the imprecatory prayer, and pray for Mr. Obama's protection until he can be properly tried for treason."</p>
<p>To remind you, Drake <a href="http://blog.au.org/2009/06/08/grim-reaper-wiley-drake-expands-death-prayers-to-include-president/">announced</a> on Fox Radio in June that he was praying for the death of the president. Even the show's host, Alan Colmes, couldn't believe his ears and asked Drake multiple times in disbelief, "So you're praying for the death of the president of the United States?"</p>
<p>It's as if Drake didn't think the public thought he was crazy enough, he now has changed his tune to be an even bigger joke.</p>
<p>What's more is that his revelation to keep Obama alive and well came from watching a video of James David Manning, pastor at ATLAH World Missionary Church in New York. Manning, who gives Drake a run for his money in the cuckoo department, once referred to Obama during a sermon as "trash" and a "long legged mack daddy," slang for someone who provides prostitutes.</p>
<p>Drake says he was persuaded to drop the death prayers by a video message Manning recorded on Nov. 18. On the video, Manning, addressing Obama, says, "I do not want to see anyone attempt, dream about, think about or ever discuss assassinating you. It is most important to you and to my savior Jesus that you live, and that you live a long life, but that you live that we might be able to bring you to trial. You see, if someone does you harm, and you are not able to be brought to trial, then we lose the opportunity of proving our statements that you are not the president of the United States of America. You are not. You are an illegal alien, a usurper."</p>
<p>Could it be that Manning's words were just so convincing and so powerful that Drake had no choice but to rescind his previous imprecatory prayers? I doubt it.</p>
<p>Instead, it seems Drake and Manning saw this is as yet another tactic to receive some media attention, even if it came at the expense of their credibility (well, what was left of it – if any).</p>
<p>After all, these two love to break the rules to get into the limelight. In the past, AU <a href="http://members.au.org/site/News2?abbr=pr&amp;page=NewsArticle&amp;id=9319&amp;security=1002&amp;news_iv_ctrl=2289">has asked</a> the IRS to investigate both pastors for partisan electioneering. During the presidential race, Drake endorsed Republican candidate Mike Huckabee and issued a press release announcing this endorsement.</p>
<p>And Manning, in a sermon that ended up on YouTube, <a href="http://www.au.org/media/church-and-state/archives/2008/10/unveils-new-web.html">pleaded</a> with Americans to "not give the White House to that half Negro Barack Hussein Obama. America, don't turn this great nation over to the Negroes. They're not ready yet."</p>
<p>This latest media stunt by Drake and Manning is not shocking. It's just pathetic and laughable. These two cranks deserve one another.</p>
<p>P.S. Drake has in the past announced that he is praying for the death of Americans United Executive Director Barry W. Lynn. It looks like those prayers are still on – unless Drake has found some reason to try Barry for treason as well.</p>
</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/churches-and-politics">Churches and Politics</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/fighting-religious-right">Fighting the Religious Right</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/churches-and-politics">Churches and Politics</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/imprecatory-prayer">imprecatory prayer</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/james-david-manning">James David Manning</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/obama">obama</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/partisan-electioneering">partisan electioneering</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/religion-and-politics">Religion and politics</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/religious-right-0">Religious Right</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/treason">Treason</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/wiley-drake">Wiley Drake</a></span></div></div>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:38:58 +0000Sandhya Bathija2406 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/drake-drops-death-demand-baptist-pastor-ends-prayers-for-obamas-death#commentsCaught In The Web: Partisan Pulpit Politicking Surfaces Online For The World -- And The IRS -- To See https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/caught-in-the-web-partisan-pulpit-politicking-surfaces-online-for-the-world
<a href="/about/people/bathija">Sandhya Bathija</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">This means that sermons broadcast on the Web that churches hope will open the doors to new followers also opens the doors for watchdogs to easily discover tax code transgressions with a basic Google search.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>At the end of this week, the Republican National Convention will come to a close and move the 2008 election season into its final months.</p>
<p>With the new VP picks on the tickets and the buzz surrounding the conventions, it wouldn't be surprising if more religious leaders have the urge to spout off on their picks for the president (and vice president) from the pulpit.</p>
<p>Thankfully, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/03/nyregion/03irs.html?pagewanted=1&amp;_r=1&amp;em"><em>The </em><em>New York Times</em></a> kindly reminded pastors and other religious leaders that the Internal Revenue Service and Americans United will be watching -- even on the Web.</p>
<p>Churches and other religious groups only receive a tax exemption so long as they do not endorse candidates from the pulpit, and now that pulpit extends to the Internet, <em>The Times</em> reported.</p>
<p>The IRS issued new guidelines last month directed toward Web sites of tax-exempt groups. The IRS said if "a 501(c)(3) organization posts something on its Web site that favors or opposes a candidate for public office, the organization will be treated the same as if it distributed printed material, oral statements or broadcasts that favored or opposed a candidate."</p>
<p>This means that sermons broadcast on the Web that churches hope will open the doors to new followers also opens the doors for watchdogs to easily discover tax code transgressions with a basic Google search.</p>
<p>The Times reports on AU's work in monitoring the Internet to discover these violations. Since May, AU has discovered multiple infractions on-line and has filed complaints with the IRS</p>
<p>For example, AU discovered that New York Pastor James David Manning had denounced Senator Barack Obama to his Atlah World Ministries congregation as a "pimp" and his mother as a "trashy white woman" by viewing the sermon on YouTube.</p>
<p>AU <a href="http://www.au.org/site/News2?abbr=pr&amp;page=NewsArticle&amp;id=9163 ">learned</a> about Bill Keller Ministries' smear against Mitt Romney ("If you vote for Mitt Romney, you are voting for Satan!") from ministry emails and from the Florida-based group's Web site, LivePrayer.com.</p>
<p>AU <a href="http://www.au.org/site/News2?abbr=pr&amp;page=NewsArticle&amp;id=9991&amp;security=1002&amp;news_iv_ctrl=2882">learned</a> of Texas pastor Maury Davis' pulpit remarks supporting three parishioners running for school board after a local newspaper saw a video of the sermon on the Church's Web site.</p>
<p>Religious Right organizations are pushing the envelope on pulpit partisanship this year. The Alliance Defense Fund's Erik Stanley told <em>The Times</em> that "in church it is the pastor who should determine what is said, not the the IRS."</p>
<p>That's true, so long as the church doesn't want a tax exemption. But the exemption is a privilege, and with that privilege, comes limitations -- even on the World Wide Web.</p>
</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/churches-and-politics">Churches and Politics</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/bill-keller-ministries">Bill Keller Ministries</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/electioneering">Electioneering</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/internal-revenue-service-irs">Internal Revenue Service (IRS)</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/internet">Internet</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/james-david-manning">James David Manning</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/maury-davis">Maury Davis</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/project-fair-play">Project Fair Play</a></span></div></div>Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:59:06 +0000Sandhya Bathija2287 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/caught-in-the-web-partisan-pulpit-politicking-surfaces-online-for-the-world#comments